[unable to retrieve full-text content]Philip Hammond will visit Delhi and Mumbai as part of the 9th UK-India Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD), hosted by Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

[unable to retrieve full-text content]New plans to help workless families break the cycle of disadvantage have been announced, as part of building a fairer society.

Keir
Starmer MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Exiting the UK, has written to
David Davis this evening to raise ongoing concerns about the impact of Brexit
on Gibraltar.

Keir’s
letter follows a conversation with the Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Fabian
Picardo, earlier today.

In
the letter Keir highlights three major concerns:

1.     
The application of any new UK/EU trade deal on
services to Gibraltar.

2.     
Agreement on the continuation of access Gibraltar’s
access to the UK market.

3.     
Agreement on the application to Gibraltar of any new
trade deals the UK does with third countries.

Keir
Starmer said:

“This afternoon I spoke with Fabian Picardo [Chief Minister of
Gibraltar] and it is clear there are serious and ongoing concerns about the
situation in Gibraltar. The Government need urgently to address this and to
provide clear reassurances for British citizens in Gibraltar.”

Ends

Notes
to editors:

·        
Full
copy of the letter to David Davis below:

Dear
David,

After
discussions this afternoon with the Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Fabian
Picardo, I am writing to raise a number of important issues concerning the
ongoing situation in Gibraltar.

The
Chief Minister emphasised three outstanding concerns to me, all of which I hope
you will consider and respond to as a matter of urgency.

1: Application of any
new UK/EU trade deal on services to Gibraltar

A concern that the UK should be firm in continuing to defend the
position that any new agreement which may emerge from these negotiations should
cover Gibraltar.  

The Chief Minister emphasised that the UK cannot just accept the
Council’s draft parameter, setting out Spain’s position that any new trade deal
can only apply to Gibraltar as a result of a bilateral agreement between the UK
and Spain.  A tough line needs to be taken and maintained.

2. Agreement on the
continuation of Gibraltar’s access to the UK market

A concern that the Government of Gibraltar needs to be able to
finalise the agreement with the UK to demonstrate that Gibraltar will have
continued access to the UK market.  This is important in respect of all
services but in particular, in respect of financial services (especially
insurance) and online gaming services.  I am told that the wording used to
date has been very helpful as political commitment but that a proposed one page
agreement has not yet been finalised despite finding considerable favour and
traction with colleagues in the Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC) from the
Department for Exiting the EU and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office.

3. Agreement on the application to Gibraltar of any new trade
deals the UK does with third countries

I understand that this is also agreed but that Gibraltar need a
very clear public statement of this.  Clear language from yourself and The
Secretary of State for International Trade on this point would be helpful to
Gibraltar.

As
you and I discussed over the weekend, the sovereignty of Gibraltar should not
be used as a bargaining chip in Brexit discussions. It is vital that the
interests of British citizens in Gibraltar are protected and that ongoing
uncertainty over Gibraltar is resolved urgently.

I look
forward to your reply.

Yours
sincerely,

Keir
Starmer QC MP

Shadow
Secretary of State for Exiting the EU

MP
for Holborn & St Pancras

Thousands of schools across England are to benefit from a £2.4 billion cash injection, Education Secretary Justine Greening announced today (3 April 2017).

It comes as new government figures show that almost 735,000 additional school places have been created since 2010 – with 92% of new primary places and 89% of new secondary places created in schools rated as ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted in 2015 to 2016.

Local councils say they need to create over 230,000 primary and secondary school places nationally between 2017 and 2020. The funding announced today will provide a further boost to the government’s drive to help create over 600,000 extra places by 2021, which will generate additional capacity to meet local demand.

Schools, local authorities and academy trusts will also receive a share of £1.4 billion to invest in upgrading or improving their school buildings. As part of this, academies and sixth-form colleges throughout the country, will receive a total of £466 million to pay for almost 1,500 vital school building work projects.

As part of its Plan for Britain, the government wants every child to have access to a ‘good’ school place, giving them the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the future.

Alongside this multi-billion pound investment, the government is considering wider proposals to ensure school standards continue to rise by creating more ‘good’ places in every part of the country.

These proposals include lifting the ban on new grammar schools – on the strict condition they improve the education of other pupils in the system – as well as harnessing the expertise and resources of our universities, and our independent and faith schools.

Education Secretary Justine Greening said:

Our Plan for Britain is to build a fairer society, with a good school place available for every child.

This £2.4 billion investment, together with our proposals to create more good school places, will help ensure every young person has the opportunity to fulfil their potential.

The £2.4 billion allocated today is part of more than £24 billion the government has committed to investing in the school estate between 2015 to 2021.

1. We have announced £2.4 billion of capital funding allocations to create new school places across the country, and to maintain and improve the condition of school buildings.

This funding comprises £980 million of funding allocations for local authorities in 2019 to 2020, to create over 60,000 school places needed. This is part of a wider investment of £7 billion in the course of this Parliament which, alongside our investment in the free schools programme, we expect to create an additional 600,000 places by 2021.

The funding also comprises £1.4 billion of funding allocations for schools, local authorities and academy trusts to invest in improving the condition of the school estate. This includes £466 million through the Condition Improvement Fund to fund 1,435 projects across 1,184 academies and sixth-form colleges.

2. The government’s ‘schools that work for everyone’ consultation closed in December last year (2016). The responses are currently being considered, and the government will respond shortly.

3. The government has also published today:

A waste criminal whose actions resulted in the closure of the M60, polluted a river and blighted communities has been disqualified from being a company director for 6 years and sentenced to 15 months in prison.

Barry Kilroe, Shareholder and Director of J25 Recycling Ltd, Recovered Fuels Shipping Ltd and Asset and Land Group Ltd was sentenced at Manchester Court (on Friday 31st March).

Transport Manager and Company Director, Jane Williams was fined a total of £500 and Richard James Davies, Financial Director, was given a conditional discharge for 12 months.

Mr Kilroe pleaded guilty to ten charges relating to the unlawful operation of three waste sites, in Stockport, Salford and Warrington Docks.

Ms Williams pleaded guilty to 2 charges; 1 relating to the Salford site for storing waste in excess of its 10,000 tonne capacity, the second charge was for operating the Warrington site without an Environment Agency permit.

Mr Davies pleaded guilty to a charge relating to the Stockport site where he failed to provide and implement an adequate environmental management system.

Environment Agency investigation

The Environment Agency brought the case against Mr Kilroe and the other directors after a lengthy investigation. The investigation identified the unlawful operation and mismanagement of the 3 sites. Excessive amounts of waste were imported on to the sites, which breached their environmental permits, and the defendants failed to comply with Enforcement and Suspension Notices.

A major fire broke out in August 2013 at the J25 Recycling Ltd site in Bredbury, Stockport that lasted for 41 days. The manner in which the site was managed increased the impacts the fire caused to the environment and local community. The fire resulted in the closure of the M60 Motorway and 3 weeks of disruption to traffic as well as significant disruption to local residents and businesses. A nearby river was polluted by the fire-fighting water run-off.

A fire also broke out in March 2014 at the Recovered Fuels Shipping Ltd site in Salford. This led to Network Rail closing the railway line in Salford. Local roads and main routes to Manchester City Centre were also closed. The manner in which the site was operated increased the impacts of the fire, which lasted for 19 days. It caused severe disruption to local residents and businesses, which were affected by smoke and ash. Mr. Kilroe failed to remove the waste following the fire, leaving the landowner to remove more than 14,000 tonnes.

Further waste was also transferred to Asset and Land Group Ltd at Warrington Docks, adjacent to the Manchester Ship Canal. The Environment Agency’s modelling also advised that a fire at the site would have affected the Ship Canal, West Coast Railway, and also flights in and out of Manchester and Liverpool airports. There would have been a significant effect on UK PLC because industry from Manchester to Liverpool would have shut. There is still a significant financial impact to the landowner who now has to pay to clear the site which has an estimate of 75,000 tonnes of waste to clear with a cost in excess of £10 million to send to landfill.

Case results in ‘significant financial impacts’

Lee Rawlinson, the Environment Agency’s Area Director for Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire, said:

This is one of the biggest cases the Environment Agency has prosecuted, we have been committed to do so because of the severity of the offence and cost and impact on the environment, communities and business. It has resulted in significant financial impacts to legitimate businesses.

The Environment Agency would like to thank partners including Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) and United Utilities as the impact would have been even greater had it not been for their tireless effort and cooperation to get the fires under control.

We would also like to thank Excalon, Salford who assisted GMFRS at Recovered Fuels Shipping Ltd. The Environment Agency has also been offering advice and support to the landowner at Warrington Docks.

Following this case GMFRS has invested in an Aerial Imagery Reconnaissance (AIR) unit. Now working in partnership with the Environment Agency Enforcement Team they use the remote controlled AIR unit to take pictures and videos of waste sites and to detect elevated heat sources within waste piles.

During Barry Kilroe’s sentencing Judge Driver said Mr Kilroe whilst on bail acted for financial gain and failed to comply with the Environment Agency’s warnings. Summing up, Judge Driver thanked the Environment Agency for all its help with a complex case.

Illegal waste activities pose a significant threat of harm to the environment and local communities, so it is important that everyone plays their part in stamping out waste crime.